Sore throat is one of the unpleasant side effects of a cold – it often announces the onset of a cold. The pain, which occurs mainly when swallowing, ranges from mild scratching to very unpleasant discomfort. Sore throat due to a throat infection is usually accompanied by swollen mucous membranes, difficulty swallowing and a dry feeling in the throat. However, with home remedies and gentle preparations of herbal medicine, for example, herbal teas, gargles and throat compresses, the annoying symptoms can be easily relieved.
What helps against a sore throat?
Sore throat and scratchy throat usually occur in the context of a cold or angina tonsillaris. But also a tonsillitis can be possible. Hot compresses know probably everyone already from his childhood. There are different types – the simple hot compress, the potato or curd compress and also the onion compress. Especially the onion poultice is a proven remedy against sore throat. Onions kill germs and can relieve pain. To make an onion poultice, simply peel two onions, slice them thinly and heat them a little in a pan without fat. They are then wrapped in a thin kitchen towel, which is then closed with a sticking plaster. In this form, the onions are placed on the neck, a cloth is wrapped around it again and then a scarf so that the wrap holds. This should be able to work for a few hours. Onions can also be used to prepare a bad-tasting but very effective onion milk. For this, half a liter of milk is put into a pot and boiled. Before that, three onions are diced as small as possible and then added to the boiling milk. The milk should be kept warm and drunk as hot as possible. The onions can also be boiled and then chopped and spooned with honey. A spoonful every half hour is enough. Another useful home remedy is a hot bath with tea tree oil, which drives away the viruses. However, it is also good to inhale with chamomile, which helps not only against the sore throat, but also against a cold in itself. Basically, all home remedies that ensure that the irritated, dry and inflamed throat mucosa is moistened and soothed help with sore throats. This can be done, among other things, by regular gargling with anti-inflammatory gargle solutions. Gargling should be done every two hours for acute sore throats. The purpose of gargling is to keep the mucous membrane moist, as it can only fulfill its function in a moistened state. Simple salt can be used to prepare a gargle solution. To do this, dissolve one teaspoon of table salt in 200 milliliters of lukewarm water. The resulting gargle solution “cleans” the mucous membrane of plaque and has an antibacterial effect due to its salt concentration. Sufficient fluid intake also keeps the mucous membrane moist. Herbal teas with effective ingredients from nature are recommended here. Chamomile and sage are known for their anti-germ and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the soothing effect is even more intense if the chamomile–sage tea is enriched with marshmallow root and flaxseed. Sore throat as an accompanying symptom of a cold can also be treated with diaphoretic lime or elderflower tea. In addition to the “internal” treatment, external compresses can be administered. Here, among other things, the damp-cold quark poultice is known. For its preparation, a towel is folded into a narrow envelope and spread with cool curd about five centimeters thick. With the curd side applied to the skin and wrapped around the neck, the wrap is finally covered with a dry cloth. The wrap is worn on the neck until the curd layer has dried.
Quick help
Quick help for a sore throat is especially important if you are just traveling and cannot make yourself a poultice or similar home remedy. Nevertheless, the best thing to do when you have a sore throat is to stay at home and spend a lot of time in bed to prevent a protracted cold from developing in the first place. Quickly against a sore throat help candies with sage or other medicinal herbs. In addition, liquid helps above all. Drinking plenty of fluids is the most important thing in order not to irritate the mucous membranes by dehydration. Water and teas such as chamomile tea or sage tea are best. The tea is easy to take along in a thermos flask.Keeping warm is essential for a sore throat – so a warm scarf and little talking is good for getting rid of the pain quickly. Sucking sage candies helps to soothe a sore throat and keep the mucous membrane in the mouth and throat moist. You can get table salt almost anywhere, even when you’re not at home. Mixed with a little lukewarm water, it makes an ideal gargle solution, but you can also make it from strong chamomile or sage tea. Gargling moistens the mucous membrane and soothes, and the active ingredients ensure that the inflammation can subside. As a first countermeasure for a sore throat, cough drops or lozenges are recommended. Sucking candies or similar stimulates the flow of saliva. The stimulated saliva flow in turn fulfills three functions: Firstly, it ensures that the irritated mucous membrane is moistened. Second, saliva contains active ingredients that regenerate the mucous membrane and ward off pathogens. And thirdly, the increased saliva production results in an increased release of antibodies that mobilize the body’s self-healing powers. Many sufferers like to turn to hot lemon when they have a sore throat. However, this is rather harmful in its effect, since lemon contains acids that additionally irritate the already attacked mucous membrane. In general, the following applies to sore throats: hot, spicy or acidic foods and drinks should be avoided for the time being! If the sore throat is accompanied by difficulty swallowing, it may also be advisable to eat mushy food instead of solid food. It is also useful in case of sore throat to pay attention to sufficient humidification of the room air, because this also protects the mucous membranes from drying out.
Alternative remedies
Alternative remedies for sore throat are easy to find. Because just the healing power of nature is not to be underestimated when it comes to a sore throat. For example, cayenne pepper helps against sore throat if you mix half a teaspoon of it with a few teaspoons of water and honey. The mixture should then be allowed to dissolve in the mouth in the morning and evening. Gargling with pure aloe vera juice can help with the pain just as well as gargling with apple cider vinegar diluted by water. These rather lesser known tips are uncomplicated and effective. If you make a tea from elderflowers, you can do well against a sore throat. Teas made from plants such as yarrow, thyme, ribwort, mallow or marshmallow root are also effective. However, it is also important to follow the rule of seeing a doctor early on if the sore throat does not want to subside. Because if they have not improved after about two to three days, a serious disease could be behind the pain. Herbal preparations are widely known and accepted as sore throat remedies. Herbal medicine as an alternative healing method is therefore quite common and effective for sore throats. The basis of this effectiveness is the essential oils contained in the plants. This is the case, for example, with thyme and marjoram, which can also be used to prepare sore throat remedies. Important when preparing such a herbal tea or gargle solution from dried herbs at home is the infusion time, which should be about ten minutes. Fresh herbs, such as thyme, can also be used to make a syrup for sore throats. This contains the essential oils in dissolved form and is particularly popular with children. The same applies to the combination of onion and honey. A finely chopped onion is doused with honey. During the infusion time of at least 12 hours the active substances of the onion can pass into the honey. The onion honey is administered by the spoonful three times a day. In addition to pure plant medicine, the potentized remedies of homeopathy can also be used against sore throat. These include belladonna, aconitum, hepar sulfuris or mercurius solubilis. Bach flowers can also be used for sore throats.